My kitchen is a bit like a clapped out old Volkswagen at the moment. Stopping and starting in fits and flurries. With days of flour strewn every where, dishes mounting like excitable rabbits, and my mixer getting an excessive work out. This is then strangely followed, by not even a whisper of activity. My cooking mojo seemingly lost. It does this now and then, slowing, sliding to a halt only to kick start again, life being thrown back into the kitchen in the way of a cup full of flour here or a cooking pan there. Then quietly coming to another hiccuping halt again. My kitchen, the kombie.
I’d been wanting to get some cedro for quite some time. It was there, ready for the taking and somehow I ended up with some orange as well. I was nodding enthusiastically to the heavily accented man selling me the cedro and obviously saying all the right words in order to get some of the orange as well. I thought we were just having a delightful conversation, talking about what might go well with it. I felt too impolite to say, oh no thanks mate, actually it was just the cedro I was after.
Pashmak…ohhh, I’d been looking for you for a long time. Now what shall I create with you my pretty fluff?
I’m still playing with cardamom buns, they really are delicious. It’s a happy thing playing with them, that’s for sure.
Local cherries, more beetroot, and the sweetest looking little pumpkin/squash/orangey thing. Surely it’s just the kind to harness a few rats up to and take some one to a ball….or a gnome house? All goodies found in my foodconnect box.
I’m really hoping that I see some of these guys in my kitchen soon. Things are looking the most promising they have in a long time. (Just avert your eyes from the mint.)
A needy starter. This weekend it has been so very hot. My starter was getting bulked up to use, but I just couldn’t face putting the oven on until it cooled down a little. The starter was getting a little impatient.
Dinner can take form in many different ways when Mr Chocolate is out for the evening and the kids have something I don’t particularly feel like eating. Basmati rice, banana, sultanas, linseed and almond meal, sunflower seeds, sesame, pepitas, a splash of milk and honey/tahini drizzled over. I then chucked a handful of blueberries in for good measure.
Last of all, not really in my kitchen but finished this week, (just in time.) My advent calendar. It’s not very “Christmassy” looking but that sits fine with me. I was a little nervous about the colour palate but it all seemed to come together enough at the end. The boys were happy to see it on the 1st, and now they get to count down until Christmas day. (Nothing like it what so ever, but I was inspired by Tania’s advent calendar from last year, which is truly, truly beautiful.)
That’s it for my kombie kitchen this week, what’s happening at your place?
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(linking in with the lovely Celia@ Fig Jam and Lime Cordial)
cityhippyfarmgirl 
My kitchen is full of junk! Loved reading about your comings and goings Brydie xx
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Joanna, I’ll bet it’s good junk though 🙂
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Some really nice pictures here. Love the blog!
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Thank you, and thank you for reading.
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Looks lovely, love your car analogies…lol
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kombies and kitchens Jen, who would have thought it eh.
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My cooking ebbs and wanes too. I love the look of your cedro and I would love to know what you’ll use it for. I put some in an ice cream I was making once. I love your Advent calendar. It’s gorgeous and the fact that it’s handmade only makes it all the more precious xx
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Mmm, ice cream for the cedro would be good. I think it will probably end up in some bread like thing for me…not sure yet.
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Hi Brydie, I love the shot of the tomato. Is it growing on your balcony???
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Alas no balcony, but it is growing against my gas meter box Glenda 🙂 space is so precious!
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Congratulations on getting it to grow.
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I think your Advent calendar is lovely and will be enjoyed over the season.
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Thanks Karen. The boys are certainly excited about it each morning, seeing what on earth could be inside that day.
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Oh I’m jealous of those little green guys!
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It’s hot and humid here at the moment Greg and the tomatoes are loving it. Fingers crossed they keep loving it.
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Hi Brydie- you had me with the very first picture of the cherries!
Everything in your kitchen sounds healthy – happy – delicious!
What a delightful Advent calendar- I always think the children NEED a fun way to count down and enjoy the days!
Thanks for sharing- I had a great visit in your kitchen today!
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Heidi I’m very aware, now is the time to start up proper family traditions, (while they are still little.) It certainly adds an element of magic to the month.
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Lovely advent calendar…
Oh and those cherries, and tomatoes too!!
But.. I´m still marking my IB exams so kitchen ´ll have to wait till next weekend….
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Hola Ale. Don’t worry, your kitchen will still be there after your exams 🙂
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Reds and golds, it looks like a most appropriate advent calendar to me and lovely too. So many interesting things, Now what I’m wondering is cedro – it looks like a candied slug? And Persian fairy floss???
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Choc I haven’t played with cedro before either, I’m hoping it comes up with the goodies though. The persian fairy floss, for me it was purely about the visuals. It could taste like ear wax, but it will look pretty!
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How have you found the cedro, Brydie? I didn’t really love it in the end – bit too gelatinous for my tastes. The cherries look divine – how good is it when cherry season starts here? And we’re all a bit erratic with cooking these days – in my case because the fan elements in the oven blew yesterday, and I’m like a deer in headlights looking at Christmas approaching with no proper baking oven..
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Not sure what I’ll do with the cedro yet Celia. I would love to try and make panettone but it still scares the birkenstocks off me, so another year passes and I’m not jumping on that bandwagon. I am still thinking something bread like though, I just looked up your biscotti from last year as well and they look good…possibilities!
Your oven…oh eeeekkk!!!
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It looks like great things are happening in your kitchen, stop start or not 🙂 I love the look of your rice bowl dinner and your advent calendar is gorgeous. I am intrigued by cedro though – I have never heard of it and will have to look it up!
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Kari it comes from Italy and used in lots of delicious things like cannoli, cassata, panettone. I very rarely see it for sale in my small travels, so grabbed it while I could. It will be fun playing!
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Lovely things in your kitchen. I love blueberries and cherries! Have a great week and thanks for sharing what is in your kitchen 🙂
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Blueberries and cherries are probably my favourites too Tandy, and this time of year is perfect for them.
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Oh I know what you mean! I’m exhausted by the end of the year too and usually, after a little break, I can’t wait to get cooking again! 😀
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Lots of lovelies indeed Brydie! I love the run up to Christmas, but it is hard to bake enthusiastically when it’s stinking hot outside!
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I love the fresh cherries and the candyfloss!!
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Love your Advent calendar and I, too, am jealous of your soon to be tomatoes. Question: What is Cedro?
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Activity in my kitchen is similarly erratic, Brydie. But with Xmas coming up, I suppose I’d better get a little more organised.
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I love your advent calender with the gorgeous Autumnal tones. I know they take quite some time to assemble all together, but well worth is as it’s lovely to have that tradition of hanging it up every christmas. It may become a family heirloom in years to come! ps- feeling so flattered!
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It’s cherry season here in South Africa too and we live near cherry farms so I bought a big bag yesterday to make cherry and chocolate ice cream. No sign of tomatoes yet, but I harvested Beetroot yesterday and the most beautiful large courgettes and their flowers. Gotta love summer!
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Lovely as usual!
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Hello Brydie! Thanks for sharing your kitchen… I am not able to photograph mine at present, for you can’t even see the bench for stuff. I am in a bit of a cooking frenzy at the moment. Love the cedro and the pashmak.
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love seeing into your kitchen – the advent calendar is gorgeous and so are the cherries – we seem to go through them at some pace here – am a little late but thought I would drop in to say happy holidays
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